Health Benefits of Honeydew Melon

www.steadyhealth.com

Honeydew melon is very tasty and healthy fruit and it is great to eat it instead of desserts. Honeydew melon can be in green or orange color.  

Honeydew melon is rich in vitamin C which is very important antioxidant. Therefore it improves firmness of skin by strengthening of collagen (protein from our skin). If consumed regularly it can keep your skin young and fresh. It is also great immunity booster and can help in prevention of cold and flu. Vitamin C from honeydew melon can help in absorption of iron too. Only a single cup of honeydew melon will provide you with half of the recommended dose of vitamin C.  

Another important vitamins and minerals from honeydew melon are copper and B vitamins.

Honeydew melon has a big percentage of water. For that very reason it keeps our bodies hydrated. It is excellent option for a hot summer day.  

Further on honey dew melon is excellent source of potassium and thus it helps regulating blood pressure. It is known to lower high blood pressure. Potassium is very important mineral for our entire body.  

Honeydew melon is low on calories and has no fat or cholesterols, so it is recommended to consume it instead of desserts if you want to lose weight in natural way. However it contains 14 grams of natural sugar per cup so it should not be eaten too much.   

Another substance that honeydew melon is rich in is folate and therefore it improves cardiovascular system and prevents heart diseases. Folate is essential for proper brain function. If one is low in folate they have more chances to develop Alzheimer's disease. Folate is especially important vitamin for pregnant women. Having enough of folate will keep your baby healthy and will help your baby develop well.

New researches show that honeydew melon can help in prevention of diabetes and also some types of cancer.  

Honeydew melon can be consumed in different ways. The easiest is to chop it into cubes and mix with other fruit to make healthy fruit salad.  

Another way of eating it is on a stick. Children adore this way of eating melon. In this way children will enjoy honeydew melon and will not eat chocolate for dessert.

Honeydew Melons

Usage: Raw in fruit salads, yogurt, or in fruit platters.

Selection: Good-quality Honeydew melon will turn a creamy yellow color and the skin will have a slightly waxy feel when ripe. They will be firm with a small amount of softness at the stem and will be fairly large - those weighing about 5 pounds have the best flavor. Sometimes, the seeds of an especially juicy melon will rattle if the melon is shaken.

Avoid: Avoid product that is too firm, too soft, has dark blemishes on the skin or is green-colored.

Storage: Uncut Honeydew melon can be kept at room temperature for two to four days or until ripe. Ripe Honeydews can be refrigerated for an additional 5 days. Cut melons should be placed in a covered container and refrigerated for no more than three days. Keep in mind that Honeydws have a strong odor that will saturate other foods.

Preparation: Wash honeydew in warm soapy water prior to cutting to eliminate impurities on the rind that could be transferred from the knife to the melon's flesh. Next, slice the Honeydew in half and remove the seeds and strings. Melons can be cut into halves, quarters, wedges, cubes, or scooped into balls with a melon baller. Most melons will benefit from a squeeze of lemon or lime juice to enhance the flavor and served at room temperature.

Seasonal Information

Honeydew is available year round. Beginning in May and through October Honeydew arrives from California, Arizona and Texas. Mexico supplies product during the winter months.

"We must prepare and grow our own food, because this is a highly commercialized world. They graft a lot of food, and some of this food is not good for our stomachs."